Sleep Apnea

Manhattan Beach, California

The term sleep apnea refers to common sleep disorders in which a person’s breathing stops repeatedly during sleep. Untreated, sleep apnea can contribute to a heightened risk for life-threatening medical complications, including hypertension, heart attack and stroke.

While sleep apnea is not a dental health problem, the condition and the chronic snoring that typically accompanies it can often be successfully treated with oral appliances. Manhattan Beach orthodontist Dr. JD Miller has helped a number of patients (and their sleeping partners) restore healthy, restful sleep; if you or a loved one suffers from loud, regular snoring, please call Surfside Smiles at 310-947-1810 to schedule your sleep apnea complimentary consultation.

Types of Sleep Apnea

There are different forms of sleep apnea, but the most widely experienced categories of sleep apnea are:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), in which the airway is physically obstructed, typically by soft tissue collapsing in the rear of the throat with the relaxation of muscles
• Central sleep apnea (CSA), in which respiration stops periodically because the muscles actively involved in breathing do not properly receive signals from the brain

People with sleep apnea are often unaware they may have this dangerous condition because they don’t recall their frequent but brief waking moments during the night. To learn more about the signs of sleep apnea, please see our Sleep Apnea Symptoms page.

Sleep Apnea Health Risks

Each time breathing stops during apnea episodes, your brain registers the sudden lack of oxygen and jolts your body awake to resume respiration. These interruptions of your sleep cycle prevent the healthy rest necessary to properly function during your waking hours and can also lead to severe health problems.

Daytime fatigue and impaired cognitive function are common side-effects of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can also contribute to high blood pressure and increase your risk for cardiac arrhythmia, heart attack and stroke among other complications.

Risk Factors for Sleep Apnea

Anyone can develop sleep apnea, regardless of age, gender or race. That said, men face a greater risk for sleep apnea. Other factors associated with an increased risk for sleep apnea include:

• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• Nasal obstructions, such as a deviated septum
• Smoking
• Regular alcohol use
• Regular sedative use
• Family history of sleep apnea

Sleep Apnea Treatments

In many cases, sleep apnea can be treated effectively and comfortably with the use of custom-made oral appliances designed to help you maintain an open airway as you sleep. Dr. Miller offers oral devices including:

• Silent Nite
• TAP I
• TAP II
• TAP III

Sleep apnea treatments vary based on your unique condition. Your free sleep apnea assessment with Dr. Miller will determine the best option for you.

If you live in the greater Manhattan Beach, California, area and would like to learn more about sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment, please contact Surfside Smiles today.